SPAM prompt line: Dude, check out this sweet site.

Mmmm, sweets. Shouldn't have them, can't stay away from them. The next best thing to actually consuming sweets is to read about them, especially if they're beautifully photographed. I always loved the catalogs, like the ones from Harry & David, that celebrate everything from brownies to chocolates to fresh fruit to liquor-infused cakes. In the best catalogs, the copywriting is especially seductive (moist and tender…warm and bubbly…delectable…blushing…luscious).

Most of those catalogs are online now, with the same gorgeous photography and captivating descriptions. For this prompt, go to a "sweet" site or two and browse through the treats. Really look at the photos and note the sensuality of the word choices in the descriptions. (If you're not sure where to go, pick a goodie, like "pastry," "chocolates," "cookies"; then enter into a search engine with the word "catalog" and explore what comes up in the results.)

Let yourself be inspired--it's up to you what kind of poem you write. Write about a specific type of sweet or revel in the all-encompassing glory of what you find. Let something delicious trigger a memory and write about that. Recall a visit to a patisserie, chocolatier, soda fountain, or even the penny candy counter at the local mom-and-pop. Develop that memory into a poem. Does it lead you away from the sweets themselves? That's fine. You're really searching for a poem, not a sugar fix.

Tasty writing to you--and have a good holiday weekend!

--Nancy

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